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Drawing of the Three

The Drawing of the Three is the second book in the Dark Tower series written by Stephen King in 1970 and published by Donald M. Grant, Publisher in 1987. The series was inspired by Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came by Robert Browning.

This story is the continuation of The Gunslinger, Roland of Gilead, and his quest towards the Dark Tower. The book begins with Roland waking up on a beach where he eventually encounters three doors. Each door opens onto New York City at different periods in time (1987, 1964 and 1977, respectively) and as Roland passes though these doors he brings back the companions who will join him on his quest to the Dark Tower.

The first door brings Eddie Dean, a heroin addict who smuggles cocaine for the Mafia. Since Eddie was headed deeper into addiction (at the hands of his brother) or prison (at the hands of the government), or worse (at the hands of his Mafia boss), he decides to throw his lot in with Roland, although with deep misgivings that he occasionally gives vent to in the form of angry outbursts.

The second door finds Odetta Holmes, a black woman who, like many of her contemporaries, is active in the civil rights movement, but unlike many of her contemporaries, is very wealthy and missing her legs as a result of a subway accident. Odetta also has a violent alter ego named Detta Walker of whom she is completely unaware. Roland and Eddie are forced to contend with both of these personalities when Odetta's body is forcibly abducted into their world.

The third door that Roland encounters brings not a new companion, but instead a new adversary for Roland named Jack Mort. This encounter results in the fusing of the personalities of Odetta and Detta to form a third woman, who will thenceforth be called Susannah.

Each of these people is essential for Roland to continue his quest. They are all part of a "ka-tet", defined as "one made from many" and "sharing the same destiny".